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| Israel bombs university in Gaza | Israel bombs university in Gaza |
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| Israeli air force jets have bombed the Islamic University in the Gaza Strip, a significant cultural symbol for Hamas. | Israeli air force jets have bombed the Islamic University in the Gaza Strip, a significant cultural symbol for Hamas. |
| Warplanes also struck Hamas government offices as air raids aimed at forcing Palestinian militants to halt rocket fire into southern Israel continued. | Warplanes also struck Hamas government offices as air raids aimed at forcing Palestinian militants to halt rocket fire into southern Israel continued. |
| Palestinian medics say nearly 300 people have been killed in the air raids that began on Saturday. | Palestinian medics say nearly 300 people have been killed in the air raids that began on Saturday. |
| Israel has threatened to launch a ground assault and is now calling up 6,500 army reservists. | Israel has threatened to launch a ground assault and is now calling up 6,500 army reservists. |
| Witnesses in Gaza said they saw six separate air strikes on the Islamic University, hitting a laboratory building, just after midnight. | |
| The university is a centre of support for Hamas - the Islamist militant group which controls the Gaza Strip. Many of its top officials graduated from there. | The university is a centre of support for Hamas - the Islamist militant group which controls the Gaza Strip. Many of its top officials graduated from there. |
| A BBC journalist in Gaza said the university authorities had evacuated the campus a few days ago as they had been expecting a strike. | A BBC journalist in Gaza said the university authorities had evacuated the campus a few days ago as they had been expecting a strike. |
| 'Success' | 'Success' |
| Earlier on Sunday, Israel bombed supply tunnels in the southern Gaza Strip used by Palestinians to smuggle food and other supplies - including weapons, says Israel - past the Israeli blockade of the territory. | Earlier on Sunday, Israel bombed supply tunnels in the southern Gaza Strip used by Palestinians to smuggle food and other supplies - including weapons, says Israel - past the Israeli blockade of the territory. |
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| Israeli planes bomb tunnels near Rafah | Israeli planes bomb tunnels near Rafah |
| As jets pounded the southern Gaza Strip, hundreds of Palestinians stormed over a fence on the Gaza-Egypt border, but Egyptian security forces fired shots to prevent them entering. | As jets pounded the southern Gaza Strip, hundreds of Palestinians stormed over a fence on the Gaza-Egypt border, but Egyptian security forces fired shots to prevent them entering. |
| An Egyptian security official was shot dead and another wounded in the turmoil which followed. | An Egyptian security official was shot dead and another wounded in the turmoil which followed. |
| See a detailed map of the area | See a detailed map of the area |
| At the UN, the Security Council joined international calls for restraint by urging an end to all violence in Gaza, including rocket attacks from Gaza. | At the UN, the Security Council joined international calls for restraint by urging an end to all violence in Gaza, including rocket attacks from Gaza. |
| Israel says militants have fired 110 rockets into Israel since Saturday. Grief and fear in GazaRockets plague Israeli townsIsrael's mixed motives for strikesIn pictures: Gaza under siege | Israel says militants have fired 110 rockets into Israel since Saturday. Grief and fear in GazaRockets plague Israeli townsIsrael's mixed motives for strikesIn pictures: Gaza under siege |
| A doctor at the Shifa hospital in Gaza City said many people had been admitted with serious injuries and essential medical supplies, fuel and water were all running out. | |
| The air strikes were launched on Saturday against Hamas targets in the densely-populated coastal territory, less than a week after the expiry of a six-month-long ceasefire deal with the militant group. | The air strikes were launched on Saturday against Hamas targets in the densely-populated coastal territory, less than a week after the expiry of a six-month-long ceasefire deal with the militant group. |
| Israel has hit targets in all Gaza's main towns, including Gaza City in the north and Khan Younis and Rafah in the south. | Israel has hit targets in all Gaza's main towns, including Gaza City in the north and Khan Younis and Rafah in the south. |
| More than 210 targets were hit in the first 24 hours of what Israel says could be a lengthy military operation. | More than 210 targets were hit in the first 24 hours of what Israel says could be a lengthy military operation. |
| Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni on the Gaza assault | Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni on the Gaza assault |
| "We took Hamas by surprise, we targeted Hamas headquarters, so this is the beginning of a successful operation, I hope, but the idea is to change realities on the ground," Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni told the BBC on Sunday. | |
| The high numbers of casualties made Saturday the single deadliest day in the Gaza Strip since Israel's occupation of the territory in 1967, analysts said, although no independent confirmation is available of the numbers killed. | The high numbers of casualties made Saturday the single deadliest day in the Gaza Strip since Israel's occupation of the territory in 1967, analysts said, although no independent confirmation is available of the numbers killed. |
| Border confusion | Border confusion |
| Most of those killed were policemen in the Hamas militant movement, but officials said women and children also died. | |
| The head of Gaza's police was among those killed and hundreds were wounded. | The head of Gaza's police was among those killed and hundreds were wounded. |
| RUN-UP TO GAZA RAIDS Shaky Egyptian-brokered six-month truce between Hamas and Israel agreed on 19 JunePalestinian rocket fire and Israeli operations in Gaza reducedViolence resumes on 4 Nov as Israel launches incursion which it says targets Hamas tunnel; Palestinians respond with rocket fireHostilities increase; Israel tightens blockade on GazaTruce expires on 19 Dec; both sides blame each other for its breakdown; rocket fire increasesIsrael launches major air strikes on 27 Dec Aid worker diary: Gaza raids | RUN-UP TO GAZA RAIDS Shaky Egyptian-brokered six-month truce between Hamas and Israel agreed on 19 JunePalestinian rocket fire and Israeli operations in Gaza reducedViolence resumes on 4 Nov as Israel launches incursion which it says targets Hamas tunnel; Palestinians respond with rocket fireHostilities increase; Israel tightens blockade on GazaTruce expires on 19 Dec; both sides blame each other for its breakdown; rocket fire increasesIsrael launches major air strikes on 27 Dec Aid worker diary: Gaza raids |
| In Israel, one person was killed on Saturday in the town of Netivot, some 20km (12 miles) east of Gaza, while there were reports of several Qassam rocket strikes early on Sunday. | In Israel, one person was killed on Saturday in the town of Netivot, some 20km (12 miles) east of Gaza, while there were reports of several Qassam rocket strikes early on Sunday. |
| Rockets landed in Ashdod, Israel's largest southern city - some 38km (23 miles) from Gaza - the deepest they have ever struck inside Israel, Israeli media said. No injuries were reported. | Rockets landed in Ashdod, Israel's largest southern city - some 38km (23 miles) from Gaza - the deepest they have ever struck inside Israel, Israeli media said. No injuries were reported. |
| A Palestinian youth was killed by Israeli fire in the north of the West Bank during protests against the raids, medics said. | A Palestinian youth was killed by Israeli fire in the north of the West Bank during protests against the raids, medics said. |
| 'Time for fighting' | 'Time for fighting' |
| At the UN, the Security Council ended emergency talks with a call for an end to hostilities, speaking of "serious concern" at the escalation of the situation in Gaza. Israel has positioned tanks just outside the Gaza Strip Anti-Israeli protest in UKGaza raids: Your reactionVoices: Reaction to raidsGaza: World reaction in quotes | At the UN, the Security Council ended emergency talks with a call for an end to hostilities, speaking of "serious concern" at the escalation of the situation in Gaza. Israel has positioned tanks just outside the Gaza Strip Anti-Israeli protest in UKGaza raids: Your reactionVoices: Reaction to raidsGaza: World reaction in quotes |
| US ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad suggested Hamas held the key to restoring calm. | US ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad suggested Hamas held the key to restoring calm. |
| "We believe the way forward from here is for rocket attacks against Israel to stop, for all violence to end," he said. | "We believe the way forward from here is for rocket attacks against Israel to stop, for all violence to end," he said. |
| He was implicitly backed up from Cairo by Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas - whose Fatah faction is a bitter rival of Hamas. | He was implicitly backed up from Cairo by Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas - whose Fatah faction is a bitter rival of Hamas. |
| "We could have avoided what happened," Mr Abbas said, saying the Islamist group should have renewed the ceasefire before it lapsed. | "We could have avoided what happened," Mr Abbas said, saying the Islamist group should have renewed the ceasefire before it lapsed. |
| The air raids came days after the truce expired and as Israel prepares for a general election in February. | The air raids came days after the truce expired and as Israel prepares for a general election in February. |
| The exiled leader of Hamas, Khaled Meshaal, has called for a new intifada, or uprising, against Israel, while the movement's Gaza leader, Ismail Haniya, called the attack an "ugly massacre". | The exiled leader of Hamas, Khaled Meshaal, has called for a new intifada, or uprising, against Israel, while the movement's Gaza leader, Ismail Haniya, called the attack an "ugly massacre". |
| The Israel-Hamas truce was regularly under strain and was allowed to lapse when it expired this month. | The Israel-Hamas truce was regularly under strain and was allowed to lapse when it expired this month. |
| From 1967 Israel's military occupied the Gaza Strip and Jewish settlers built communities within the territory. Israel withdrew in 2005 but has maintained control of Gaza's borders. | From 1967 Israel's military occupied the Gaza Strip and Jewish settlers built communities within the territory. Israel withdrew in 2005 but has maintained control of Gaza's borders. |
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